Title: The Use of Social Networks for Promoting Information Service Delivery in Academic Libraries in North-East, Nigeria
Author(s): Hassan Salama Dala; Chukwudum Maureen Jegbefume; Mohammed Bello Ahmed
Publication Year: 2022; Volume 17, Issue 2, pages 65-74

This study was conducted to examine the use of social networks in information services delivery in academic libraries in Northeast, Nigeria. Survey research design was adopted, with the population of the study consisted 212 librarians, para-professionals and library attendents. A purposive sampling technique was used to determine the population for the study and the sample was the entire population. Questionnaire was instrument used for data collection from the sample respondents. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics of (ANOVA), whereby the findings were presented in table, frequencies and percentages. The validity test result of 0.76 were conducted to ascertained the quality and relevance level of instrument releted to use of social media by libraries. The instrument was found reliable for the study. The study findings revealed that significant number of respondents in all the Institutions under study were found utilizing Facebook, WhatSapp, Myspace, Twitter, Blog, Librarything, LinkedIn and Email to promote information services delivery to users, and Its renders information services by Selective dissemination of information (SDI), User’s reference enquiries, Reporting complaints on services, Current awareness services (CAS), and User education via Library orientations over the social networks, it’s also found certain challenges such as low patronage existence in academic libraries, Technophobia, resistance to innovation change, Poor awareness towards social media services, Insufficient bandwidth, Erratic power supply, Slow speed internet connectivity and browsing, Inadequate storage preservation facilities and Poor competencies skills for surfing internet by library users were still pertinent. And such challenges were made to be delaying the successful instant means of satisfaying users information needs, the study concluded that, there is extent utilization of social networks by academic libraries in promoting the information service delivery. The study recommended that, Academic libraries should be provided with adequate funds to improves its infrastructure by regular provision of power supply, bandwidth, traning and retraining of library staff, and there should be need for more means of orientation awareness about the potentials service provided via social networking sites,for promoting information service delivery in order to meet the current growing trends in library and information sciences.